Tennessee on Tuesday held primaries for a special election to fell Congressional District 7 in the U.S. House of Representatives. File Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo
Democrat Aftyn Behn and Republican Matt Van Epps are poised to face off in a special election for a Tennessee seat in the U.S. House of Representatives following Tuesday’s primary elections.
The Dec. 2 contest for Tennessee’s District 7 will be closely watched as a win by the Democrats would see a further whittling away of the Republicans’ 219-213 majority of the chamber, while a GOP victory would give the conservatives a bit of breathing space
It will also serve as a litmus test of the appetite for Trump’s policies ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The contest for the District 7 seat was set in motion when Rep. Mark Green, a Republican, announced his resignation in June. He has held the seat since being elected in 2018.
Aftyn Behn
Behn, a Tennessee state lawmaker and former healthcare community organizer, claimed victory Tuesday night after being projected to win the Democratic primary.
“This victory belongs to every volunteer, voter and believer who knocked doors, made calls and shows that people power still wins in Tennessee,” she said in a statement on Facebook.
“Now, we’re taking this momentum into the general — because our communities deserve a representative who fights for us, not corporate donors.”
“Let’s finish the job,” she added.
Results in the competitive four-candidate race saw her secure more than 8,640 votes, representing nearly 28% of the vote share and a little more than 900 ballots more than second-place finisher businessman Darden Hunter Copeland. The three runners up finished within several hundred votes of one another.
“Congratulations Rep. Aftyn Behn! We look forward to sending you to Washington D.C.!” the Tennessee Democratic Party said in a statement.
Matt Van Epps
Van Epps, a combat veteran, claimed victory in the GOP primary online Tuesday night, thanking his supporters for the “landslide” victory in a crowded Republican primary of 11 candidates.
“We’re going to win the general and keep this seat RED!” he said on Facebook on Tuesday night.
According to final unofficial results from the Tennessee secretary of state, Van Epps had secured more than 51% of the vote, netting 19,001 ballots. Jody Barrett, an attorney and Texas House of Representatives lawmaker, finished second with 25% of the vote share at fewer than 9,350 ballots cast.
His victory comes less than a week after Trump threw his MAGA support behind Van Epps on Oct 3, saying “HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
The endorsement was met by state Rep. Lee Reeves backing out of the race and calling on his supports to cast their ballot for Van Epps.
“Congratulations Matt Van Epps! We look forward to keeping this seat red on December 2,” the Tennessee Republican Party said in a statement.
